Woodhall Spa great-grandparents launch fundraisers to help '˜lovable' Hugo, 4

The great-grandparents of a '˜lovable' little boy battling a life-limiting condition have thanked big-hearted fundraisers for their '˜amazing support'.
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Ray and Pat Darby, of Woodhall Spa, are grandparents to four-year-old Hugo Hart.

Hugo, who lives in Lincoln, has been diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

It is an incurable condition which causes muscle wasting.

Hugo will be wheelchair dependant by the age of 10 and will only live to be 25.

Mr Darby said: “Hugo is such a happy boy. Everyone who meets him falls in love with him.

“When he falls over, he always gets up with a big smile on his face”

Family and friends are raising funds to improve the day-to-day quality of Hugo’s life and to invest in emerging treatments in America and Europe .

Mr and Mrs Darby say they have been ‘blown away’ by the generosity of well-wishers - including organisers of a weekly auction at Carrington Village Hall.

They recently handed over £500 with a pledge of more money to come.

Mr Darby told the News: “The organiser (of the auctions) is one of our neighbours in Woodhall.

“He saw the poster in our window about Hugo which explained his condition and why we are trying to raise money.

“He read it and said ‘leave it with me’.

“We didn’t hear anything for a while but then we got a call last week inviting us to an auction at Carrington and he handed over the £500,

“We were blown away and it just shows how many people out there do care. Bless ‘em all!”

Hugo lives with his mum and dad, who are both teaching assistants.

Mr Darby explained the family was determined to holdmore events over the coming months.

One fundraiser already provided cash for the family to visit Legoland.

Mr Darby added: “His mum and dad work really hard but they haven’t the spare money to make a difference to Hugo’s daily life.

“There’s also the cost of all the specialist equipment, the medical treatment and all the alterations they are going to have to make to their house.

”Hugo has already been through so much in four years - all the hospitals and all the jobs.

“As I said, we just want to help him enjoy the limited life he will have.”

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